“Nisekoi: False Love” is an enjoyable, humorous and crazy anime series and with this latest volume, you get a few emotional episodes with Chitoge trying to capture the attention of the mother she never gets to see but also a lot of fun episodes including a Valentine’s Day episode. If you love romantic comedies, “Nisekoi: False Love” is an anime series which I can easily recommend!

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, Japanese Linear PCM Stereo, Subtitles: English and Japanese

COMPANY: Aniplex Inc.

RATED: Suggested 13 and Up

Release Date: June 21, 2016

Originally created by Naoshi Komi

Chief Director: Akiyuki Simbo

Director: Naoyuki Tatsuwa

Script by Akiyuki Simbo, Fuyashi Tou

Character Design by Nobuhiro Sugiyama

Art Director: Ken Naito

Anime Production: SHAFT

Featuring the following voice talent:

Kana Hanazawa as Kosaki Onodera

Kouki Uchiyama as Raku Ichijō

Nao Tōyama as Chitoge Kirisaki

Kana Asumi as Marika Tachibana

Mikako Komatsu as Seishirō Tsugumi

Takehito Koyasu as Claude

Yumi Uchiyama as Ruri Miyamoto

Yuuki Kaji as Shū Maiko

10 years ago, Raku made a secret promise with a girl he met that they would “get married when they reunite.” Since then, he never let go of the pendant she gave him…

In order to put an end to the war between the yakuza clan Shuei-gumi and the Beehive Gang, Raku Ichijo and Chitoge Kirisaki must fake being boyfriend and girlfriend. At first, they clashed frequently, but little by little, they came to understand each other.

One day, Chitoge finally realizes that what she’s feeling towards Raku is, in fact, love. What will become of their “Fake Love” relationship now? Find out in Nisekoi 2 Volume 1!

Chitoge is starting to have feelings towards Raku, but is not sure how he can get him to pay attention to her even more. Meanwhile, Seishirou Tsugumi’s rival, “Black Tiger” has come to challenge her and Chitoge’s mother, Hana is coming to visit her. But why is Chitoge so terrified?

Meanwhile, it’s the beginning of the New Year and the girls try to win Raku’s affection. But when Valentine’s Day is around the corner, how will Chitoge Kirisaki, Kosaki Onodera, Marika Tachibana and Seishiro Tsugumi win Raku’s heart?

It’s the start of a new second season for “Nisekoi: False Love″ available now on Blu-ray courtesy of Aniplex!

What is “Nisekoi: False Love”?

Naoshi Komi’s manga work is well-known for readers of “Weekly Shonen Jump”.

From “Koi no Kami-sama”, “Williams” and “Double Arts”, Komi’s manga “Nisekoi” (False Love) was created as a one shot for Jump NEXT! in 2011 but then receiving the go-ahead as a weekly manga serialized in “Weekly Shonen Jump”. It was also one of the first manga to receive an English translation online courtesy of Shueisha and also received a 20-episode anime series which aired on Tokyo MX and a second season in 2015 featuring 12 episodes and an OVA.

“Nisekoi: False Love” revolves around high school Raku Ichijou. When Ichijou was a kid, he met a girl and he kept a lock, she kept the key and promised each other to get married if they one day find each other.

Since then, Ichijou has kept his promise and has worn the lock around his neck and has been hoping to meet her again.

But Ichijou’s life is a little complicated. While a good-natured individual, unfortunately for him, he is the son of the leader of the Shuei-gumi yakuza syndicate. He has no interested in become part of the yakuza but everyone expects him to be the next one to lead the syndicate in the future.

Meanwhile, while going to school, he sees a foreign girl jumping from a wall and landing on him. He loses the lock on his neck and is very upset of what had transpired. Next thing you know in class, that same girl becomes a new student in his class.

Chitoge Kirisaki just moved from the U.S. to Japan and since her mom is Japanese and her dad is America, she is fluent in both Japanese and English. And suffice to say, when both Ichijou and Kirisaki see each other, they start yelling at each other and she nails him with a hit after he calls her “monkey girl”. People see how tough she is but to make them get along, his teacher puts Ichijou in charge of showing her around school.

He tries his best but the two are like oil and water, they just don’t get along. For the next week of trying to assist her, the two end up arguing and getting in each other’s faces.

If anything, Ichijou focus is more on finding the lock that was lost when Kirisaki landed on him. And he wonders if Kosaki Onodera, the popular girl in school and a person who has treated him with nothing but kindness is the girl that he made the promise with. He hopes it is her.

But just when Ichijou is about to give up, Onodera pleads with him to keep his promise and Ichijou is reminded that a promise is a promise and he intends to keep it. But wants to ask Onodera if there is any chance she may be the girl he made the promise too.

What he doesn’t know is that Onodera does have a key and she has always liked Ichijou but doesn’t have the guts to tell him.

But as Ichijou wonders if Onodera is the girl he made a promise too and excited for the possibility that it might be, when he gets home, his father talks to him about something important.

The problem is that the Shuei-gumi and the rival Beehive Gang are in the brink of all-out war that would damage both yakuza gangs, he and the other leader have come up with the plan. Ichijou must pretend to be dating the daughter of the leader of the Beehive Gang.

Ichijou doesn’t want to get involved and his father told him that he must forget dating any other girl and focus liking this girl they set him up with.

When the two are introduces, Ichijou is shocked that the girl is Chitoge Kirisaki. And for both of them, they must promise to be boyfriend and girlfriend for three whole years and be convincing to both yakuza gangs that they are truly in love.

Both don’t want to be involved with each other but they have no choice. But now they must find a way to co-exist with each other as both yakuza gangs are suspicious of their relationship especially Kirisaki’s guardian, Claude.

Meanwhile, Ichijou still wants to ask Onodera if she is the girl with the key and Onodera is about to let him know that she is. But before they can, the whole school are told that both Ichijo and Kirasaki are boyfriend and girlfriend.

And now it has made things tough for both Ichijou and Kirisaki, but can they keep this charade of being in love with each other, especially if they despite one another?

For the start of the second season, Chitoge wants Raku to pay more attention to her. But what can she do to make him pay attention to her?

Meanwhile, out of the blue, Tsugumi’s rival “Black Tiger” has come to challenge her and the winner gets to kiss Raku!

And the key story revolves around Tsugumi’s mother Hana, a workaholic business woman that only visits Chitoge during Christmas. Feared by many, she is in need of an assistant and chooses Raku to be her assistant.

Meanwhile, Raku is determined in getting Hana to recognize Chitoge even more.

Also, when Valentine’s Day comes along, if chocolate is a way to show one’s love during Valentine’s Day, how will Chitoge, Kosaki, Marika and Seishiro win Raku’s heart?

The main characters of “Nisekoi: False Love″ are:

Raku Ichijou – While a good-natured individual, unfortunately for him, he is the son of the leader of the Shuei-gumi yakuza syndicate. He has no interested in become part of the yakuza but everyone expects him to be the next one to lead the syndicate in the future. He is forced to pretend he is in a relationship with Chitoge Kirisaki in order to prevent a gang war. He sees Chitoge to be rude and cold, and he has always liked Kosaki Onodera. Raku wears a lock on his necklace and made a promise to marry the person who has the key to open the lock.

Chitoge Kirisaki – Chitoge just moved from the U.S. to Japan and since her mom is Japanese and her dad is America, she is fluent in both Japanese and English. She has blonde hair and her father is the leader of a rival gang. She must pretend to be in a relationship with Raku Ichijo in order to prevent a gang war. She is not refined as is often beating or saying something cold to Raku.

Kosaki Onodera – Raku’s classmate and the girl he has always liked. He doesn’t know that Kosaki has always liked him and happens to have a key that may open the lock that Raku has. She is very shy and it not a good cook.

Ruri Miyamoto – Onodera’s best friend who is doing all she can to help her gain the courage to tell Raku how she feels.

Seishiro Tsugumi – Known as “The Black Tiger”, a hitwoman raised and trained by Claude. While a tomboy, she starts to develop feelings towards Raku.

Marika Tachibana – Another girl from Raku’s past. She had loved Raku as a child and went as far as changed herself to the way he asked her to. Also, Raku’s father neglected to tell him that he made an agreement with the Police Comissioner (Marika’s father) that they were engaged in order to build relationship between the gang and the police. Unlike the other girls who are shy to show their feelings towards Raku, Marika is more upfront about her feelings and her actions.

Claude – The assistant to Chitoge’s father. He doesn’t believe that Raku and Chitoge is in a relationship and will do anything to find out the truth.

VIDEO:

“Nisekoi: False Love” is presented in 1080p High Definition. The anime series is absolutely vibrant and colorful. The background, especially the foreground artwork are beautifully painted and well-detailed, while the character designs are well-done and well-shaded. This is a gorgeous looking anime series and definitely a series a television series that caught my attention because it’s not soft, if features amazing detail and is full of colors!

SHAFT did a wonderful job on the animation and the series definitely compliments Naoshi Komi’s manga series!

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Nisekoi: False Love” is presented in Japanese linear PCM stereo. Dialogue and music is crystal clear through the front channels and I heard no distortion while watching this anime series. The voice acting by Kana Hanazawa, Kouki Uchiyama and Nao Toyama are well-done!

It’s important to emphasize to those interested in this series on Blu-ray that there are no English dubbed soundtrack included.

With the latest volume of “Nisekoi: False Love”, it has been an interesting journey so far as we have seen a number of girls fall for Raku and of course, him being oblivious to what is happening.

W see Chitoge trying to get Raku to recognize her, Tsugumi’s rival challenging her for a chance to kiss Raku, Ruri trying to tell Raku that Onodera has always loved him but possibly one of the most touching and interesting chapters to read is the introduction to Chitoge’s mother, Hana.

If you thought Chitoge was tough, she is nothing like Hana, beautiful but cold, feared by many but yet independent and successful. But she is a workaholic to the point that she is never there for Chitoge and the only passing conversation is short.

But when Raku is forced to become Hana’s assistant, Raku sees it as an opportunity to bring mother and daughter closer. But can he?

Also, with Valentine’s Day being a special day for one to show how much they care for someone, to what great extremes would each go in order to present Raku with a chocolate?

Sure, there have been many anime series that have tapped into the story of a promise made in childhood of marriage from “Love Hina” to “Ore no Kanojo to Osanajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru” (better known as “Oreshura”).

But what “Nisekoi” does differently is throw a major wrench into this possible love romance by putting the male protagonist in search of his future wife, to fulfill a family promise to have a relationship with the daughter of a rival gang, a girl that he detests.

Both hate each other and while Ichijou is a guy with a positive outlook in life, when he meets Chitoge Kirisaki, she is abrasive, cold and not good at holding her aggression as she is constantly beating up on Ichijou.

And to make things worse for Ichijou, the most popular girl that he always liked, Kosaki Onodera, is in fact the girl that has (or may have) the key, to his lock that he has worn on his neck and promised to marry.

So far, I really enjoy this anime series, especially the episodes on this third Blu-ray release because it’s fresh take on the young promise made by youngsters to marry each other and it also has that similarity to “Ranma 1/2″ of two people arranged by their parents to be together, although not to be married but to have this fake romance for three years. And then having multiple young ladies vying for his attention.

As for the Blu-ray release, the anime series is presented in 1080p and is absolutely vibrant! Lossless soundtrack is in Japanese Linear PCM and there are no English dub soundtrack, but I can see this series receiving an English dub treatment in the future!

While there are no additional special features aside from the usual Opening and Textless endings, you do get Aniplex swag with a slipcase and collectable ending card pin-ups.

Overall, “Nisekoi: False Love” is an enjoyable, humorous and crazy anime series and with this latest volume, you get a few emotional episodes with Chitoge trying to capture the attention of the mother she never gets to see but also a lot of fun episodes including a Valentine’s Day episode.

If you love romantic comedies, “Nisekoi: False Love” is an anime series which I can easily recommend!

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